The benefits of good tutor-student relationships in the first year

Ella R Kahu; Catherine Picton

doi:10.5204/ssj.v10i2.1293

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The benefits of good tutor-student relationships in the first year

Journal article

Open access

Peer reviewed

The benefits of good tutor-student relationships in the first year

Ella R Kahu and Catherine Picton

Student Success, Vol.10(2), pp.23-33

2019

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5204/ssj.v10i2.1293

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Abstract

student engagement

teacher-student relationships

tutor

student success

first-year students

Teacher-student relationships (TSR) are an important influence on the student experience at university. Existing research, predominantly with lecturers, highlights that these relationships have academic and affective dimensions. Studies demonstrate good TSR increase student motivation, engagement, and learning. The current study adds a student voice to this topic, focussing on their views of tutoring staff, who undertake much of the face-to-face teaching in universities. The qualitative study followed 19 students through their first year at an Australian university. The students identified four characteristics of a 'good' tutor: helpful, caring, likeable, and hands-on. Students talked about multiple benefits of having a good tutor including increased help-seeking, studying harder, more interest in class, and improved well-being and belonging. The importance of the tutor role is underestimated and institutions would do well to better support these valuable staff.

Details

Title: The benefits of good tutor-student relationships in the first year
Authors: Ella R Kahu (Author) - Massey University, New Zealand
Catherine Picton (Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast
Publication details: Student Success, Vol.10(2), pp.23-33
Publisher: Queensland University of Technology
Date published: 2019
DOI: 10.5204/ssj.v10i2.1293
ISSN: 2205-0795
Copyright note: Copyright © 2019 The Author. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Licence. As an open access journal, articles are free to use with proper attribution.
Organisation Unit: School of Social Sciences - Legacy; University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland; Student Services and Engagement
Language: English
Record Identifier: 99450893702621
Output Type: Journal article

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